Let’s play Q&A with the Edmonton Oilers flying Friday to Detroit to play the Red Wings at the Joe Saturday afternoon (CBC, noon face-off MDT).

Q: How is Anton Lander?

A: The farm-team centre has a broken foot, not a bone bruise after taking a shot off his leg on the first shift against the Dallas Stars Wednesday night. “He’s out a minimum of four weeks,” said coach Ralph Krueger.

Q:Will Ben Eager play against the Wings?

A: Absolutely. He’ll be on a third line with Ryan Smyth at centre and Lennart Petrell on the other wing. Eager was concussed after a fight with Vancouver winger Zack Kassian in the Oilers’ first game Jan. 20. “We definitely need his physicality on the forecheck and for the ice-time he had last year (eight minutes a game, eight goals) he’s a threat to score. He’s fresh and we need that with all these games in a short period of time,” said Krueger

Q: Will Eric Belanger, who broke two toes on his right foot six days ago in Colorado, be on the trip?

A: Yes. He can’t play Saturday because he was put on injured reserve retroactive to after the loss to the Avalanche. Players on IR can’t play for seven days. If the Wings’ game was a night start, he could play in Detroit but because it’s an afternoon tilt, he can’t do it. He could have a protective cap on his skate, and extra padding inside the boot.. “We’re happy with how Eric is coming along. The earliest he can be cleared is Sunday in Columbus and we’ll test him…we have early morning ice in Detroit to see his condition,” said Krueger.

Q: Will Mark Fistric play on defence after missing last game with a sore back?

A: If he gets the green light from the medical staff, he’s probably in, according to Krueger. He didn’t say who would be out. But if Fistric plays it’s a coin flip between Ryan Whitney and Corey Potter in the third defence pair. Whitney has been a healthy scratch once (against Vancouver). He played 16 minutes against Dallas and was on the ice for Jaromir Jagr’s winning OT goal. Potter only played 13:42. If Fistric plays, I’d say Whitney plays and Potter, a healthy scratch four times, won’t dress. That said maybe Krueger doesn’t know that Potter was born in Lansing, Mich. and went to Michigan State. He’d be pumped to play in Detroit.

Q: What’s up with farmhand centre Chris VandeVelde?

A: He will be meeting the team in Detroit and will be the fourth-line centre with Magnus Paajarvi and another TBA (to be announced winger). VandeVelde played five games last year and scored his first NHL goal in Columbus. He may only be up for one game if Belanger can go Sunday against the Blue Jackets.

Q: Will they keep riding Devan Dubnyk, giving him an 11th straight start in net, or will they look at backup Nikolai Khabibulin, giving him his first action since last March 30? Or will Khabby play in Columbus? Will they flip a coin?

A: “Flip a coin? No, we’re not going to do that,” said Krueger. “We’ll announce our decision in Detroit, but Nikolai is ready for a game.”

Q: So if Dubnyk starts against the Wings and stands on his head, would they come back to him in Columbus or would they feel he needs a breather and Khabibulin needs a start, somewhere?

A: Krueger says they’ll go day-by-day, although it’s hard to fathom that they haven’t made a decision on who plays where. Especially in Khabibulin’s case, not having played for over 10 months.

Q: In practice Friday, Krueger had Taylor Hall playing with Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky, not RNH and Jordan Eberle? Could we see some line shuffling in Detroit, because Teemu Hartikainen was in Hall’s spot at practice?

A: Generally our 5-on-5 game with the chances we’re creating, there’s lots of things going through our (coaches) heads (new wrinkles). We’ve been stalled by injuries which has made flexibility and mobility on lines more difficult.”

Q: So you’re not going to tell us if Hall, who has two goals (both even-strength) will get a new look with Gagner, who has the longest point streak (10 games) in the league right now?

A: Let’s see how everybody is after this practice, speaking with the medical staff. We definitely want to get our five-on-five going. It’s a major issue on the table right now. So yes, changing the lines is an option.”

Q: What about Hartikainen? A bigger body around the net and along the boards?

A: Krueger says Hartikainen and Paajarvi after looked very good the last few games. “They’re close to playing the system and principles we want here on a shift to shift basis. Adding a player like Hartikainen into the skill-set we have, could change the dynamics. We’re still experimenting, looking at options.”

Q: Off practice Nail Yakupov, the leading goal-scorer with five, wasn’t on the top two lines. Will he be with Paajarvi and VandVelde on a fourth line?

A: Krueger didn’t address that, because I forgot to ask, to be honest. I can’t believe the leading goal guy would be on fourth line, but Yakupov only has two 5-on-5 goals, so he’s struggling there just as Hall and Eberle and RNH are. You can bet Yakupov, no matter where he starts the game, will still be getting second PP time.

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